Could it be? The first CF park with metal detectors?

A park with heavy police presence is reason enough to deterr would-be a$$holes who'd otherwise want to start something.

I'd rather take a park with it's own police force (ie: Cedar Po!nt) very visable within the park all over, to have that sense of security, rather than some stupid metal detector which does nothing more than detect metal (can anyone say: "Plastic explosives"?).

A park where there is a strong sense of authority all around the entire park will have more of an effect than one where the only "security" are a few metal detector gates at the entraince to the park. Stuff can easily get smuggled in by other means.

I hope the metal detecors go, and the Cedar Fair police presense comes into play.

Metal detectors are worthless. The same scrutiny is not placed on employees or deliveries. Fences you can get to make it easy to pass things into the park.

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igron said:
Its kind of hard to maintain a "family" atmosphere when Rufus and Jamal are walking down the midway passing a blunt between them.

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That is one of the most ignorant statements I've heard on here. I know what you are trying to imply, and I take offense to it!

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Jeff said:
Metal detectors are worthless. The same scrutiny is not placed on employees or deliveries. Fences you can get to make it easy to pass things into the park.

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If someone is intent on wreaking havoc at a park, sure, there are plenty of ways to get a weapon inside despite the detectors. What's this? A one-in-a-million scenario?

More likely, the real intent is to prevent the entry of smaller weapons, like knives, that could be used in a more spontaneous assault.

If they deter any weapon-toting hot head from entering a park, the they're woth the trouble, IMHO.

Yes they are a pain in the ass but they are worth it. I do like though how the Paramount Park have done it by putting them before the ticket takers it seems like a much better way to do it.

I do believe at DP this year during the hight of the season (and crowded weekends) that anyone with a bag had to have it have it searched if they wanted to bring it into the park. I might be wrong since I never have a bag with me at my homeparks (most of the time)

SFAdv seems very annoying to get thru the gates most of the time. Although the most I ever waited was like 10 minutes it was just that it happened time after time. The one thing that pissed me off was that that at GAdv they don't let tripods into the park (do to post 9/11 I was told). I understand where they are coming from but it's just annoying becuase all I really want to get is some good night photos. Finally though this is completely off topic but was anyone else pissed how much they cut the opperation of the season pass entrance last year. *** Edited 3/16/2004 10:18:46 PM UTC by Alex Nagel***

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Jeff said:
Metal detectors are worthless. The same scrutiny is not placed on employees or deliveries. Fences you can get to make it easy to pass things into the park.

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Actually, from what I was told, SFGAm does have the metal detectors also set up at the employee entrance.

For my money, a visible security presence is just as effective (if not moreso) than metal detectors and bag inspections at the gate. Of course, a visible security presence is mucho expensive compared to a one-time purchase of a dozen magnetometers.

Finally, CF parks do sometimes do this. I was wanded entering KBF for Haunt in '02, but not during several "normal" visits during last fall and this winter.

Oh, and I took offense at igron, too.

Jeff said:
Metal detectors are worthless. The same scrutiny is not placed on employees or deliveries. Fences you can get to make it easy to pass things into the park.

At SFWoA, every employee passed through a metal detector upon clocking in. As far as deliveries are concerned, the warehouse staff sorts everything out and would not allow any unknown product to make it to the midway.

As far as fences, I can think of only two areas where the midway is directly next to a fence and those fences are solid.

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Sean, you would have been searched had you fit the profile they had their eyes open for.

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At least at PGA you would. Every single time I go there, even though I purposely remove any metal from myself before going to the park, their little hand held wands go off every time. I suppose because I'm Hispanic, they feel it's necessary to manually trigger the mechanism to go off when passing over my EMPTY pockets, which gives them a cause to search me everytime, regardless of the fact that I've never in my life ever owned, possesed, or even used a knife, gun, or any other weapon.

I'm all for metal detectors at parks, but I personally don't appreciate the profiling going on at PGA. Had it been a isolated incident, no problem. But it's happened way too many times to be a coincidence. Just a warning for anyone going to PGA who might fit their profile.

I take offense to that comment too, igron - Rufus and Jamal are my dealers and everyone knows you smoke your blunts in the queue, not the midway! ;)

(or at the very least the parking lot)

I almost jumped in earlier with comments exactly mirroring Jeff's.

Metal detectors do nothing to stop someone looking to cause real trouble. The random hothead can cause plenty of damage with an item as random as a rock or a belt or car keys.

The detectors imply security and from the comments in this thread they're doing their job at giving that warm and fuzzy false sense of security.

I among most people will wait the 10 minutes to enter the park (if I had to enter through the main gate). Most people don't realize this, but you gotta think of the new Concealed Weapons Law in Ohio. Do you know how many nut cases will be carrying guns? That is a prime reason why this new department is being created at GL. To prevent the guns from entering the park. There are going to be some great changes coming to the Security Department at The New GL now that the cheap bastards (SFI) are out of the picture. Hopefully it will happen this year, but I have a feeling it will take a year to get all accomplished that needs to be.

There are many arguments that can be made on either side of the metal detectors/no metal detectors issue. Just remember that many of the terrorists today are very crafty, and many precautions need to be taken. I don't want my day at the park ruined by any incident such as these presented. Going through a metal detector, however, probably will not ruin my day. No whining.
Just my $0.02. *** Edited 3/17/2004 1:32:49 AM UTC by TTDTom***

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jomo said:
I've never in my life ever owned, possesed, or even used a knife

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How do you eat without using a knife to cut the food?;)

Anyway, I think metal detectors are useful, however, there also has to be some security guards inside the park too. Metal detectors can't prevent all weapons from getting in, but they can certainly help.

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rollergator said:

Is that Cotton Hill driving that car....you know he got his shinnies blown to smithereens by the Nazzies, and he's none too happy about it? ;)

Sorry, the phrase "Cadillac Car" just always sends me off on a KotH rant, LOL....:)

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Actually, I believe it was the "Tojos" that shot his shins off. But he still killed "Fity men."

Jomo is right... there's a ton of racial profiling that goes on I'm sure. I'd go as far as to say that if GL was in roughly the same position west of Cleveland (the east side is primarily non-white), I bet there'd be no metal detectors.

And that's fairly ridiculous. I might agree that GL has historically had a more "rough" crowd, but I personally fear the hilljacks with old pickups and gun racks more than any black kid that thinks he's living the thug life because of the clothes he's wearing. I call that being a teenager.

Jeff you may be right, but its not racial profiling. The motivation behind SFWoA installing the metal detectors was to prevent weapons from entering the park, and I can tell you, you'd be amazed at what has been confiscated. Even when there are signs saying "STOP keep these items in your car"

Racial profilling at an amusement park? That happens at airports more.

Metal detectors don't bother me too much as long as they are letting people through all of them. It took me about half an hour to get through the metal dector at SFNO 'round opening time because they only letting people through ONE detector. There was also the time they wouldn't let my mom into SFAW because she had nail clippers in her purse. Honestly! Nail clippers!

I know that SFGAM Checks every bag, Every Time. When I went with my Niece they check the stroller really well. They even lifted up the Cushion to make sure that you are not hiding anything under there. In fact when I was at the ACE Event they checked are goodie bags that SFGAM gave us 30 seconds before entering the park.

Carlo